Something so sweet as pain
by cath-k8
Summary: What happened to Loki between the falling from the Bifrost and the Avengers. His "allies" can be quite persuasive...
1. Chapter 1

"_If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevasse where he can't find you."_

Loki ran. Feet slipping on the loose shale and clothes snagging on sharp rocks. There was no sound of his pursuers but he knew it was just a matter of time. They seemed as adept at navigating the secret passages between worlds as he was.

He took a sharp right past a large boulder. He needed to get out of sight and catch his breath. When the creatures had first arrived he had had some success using projections of himself. Appearing and disappearing and watching the confused troops swivel round trying to attack an enemy that was no longer there, their ranks disintegrating into a disorganised rabble. If he timed it just right he could get a solider to impale a comrade in their enthusiasm to kill Loki's projection.

When Loki had grown bored of this, and the creatures were worked up into a sufficient frenzy, Loki had led them to the end of a long valley blocked off by a wall of rock (no doubt the site of an ancient waterfall, long dried up). It appeared it was a dead end and Loki let them whoop and jeer with excitement as they closed in for the kill. Then ... he let the rocks fall. The group heard the rumble first and had time to look up at the boulders and see their fate. The leader locked eyes with Loki's projection, which smirked before winking out of existence.

At the top of the cliff Loki sat and watched the dust settle. He was still sitting there, a little smugly, when he spotted the next, larger group of soldiers picking their way along the ridge lining the valley.

Every time he defeated or evaded an attacking force they seemed to find him again in greater numbers and better equipped. His pursuers had taken to attacking their prey from the air on chariots and were later accompanied by huge lumbering flying creatures (seemingly more suiting to the ocean than the air). When Loki first happened across a passage to another world (like the secret ones between Asgard and Jotenheim) he was sure the mindless beasts would be without the skill to follow. He was wrong. Since then he had slipped blindly from one world to the next so many times he was not sure if he could remember how to get back to where he had started.

To his right Loki heard the crunch of gravel under running feet; he needed to get under cover before the flying chariots found him. He found himself missing the forested world he had passed through earlier. At least there his enemy had been limited to being on foot like him. There, Loki had been able to separate a solider from its group and had tried to manipulate the creature into revealing their strategies and their reason for stalking him. After all it seemed a lot of effort for one man (or one god). Despite the best his silver tongue had to offer not one word passed the soldier's lips and Loki was left wondering whether the poor creature was even capable of speech.

Skidding left, down a narrow break in the boulders Loki tried to shake off the feeling he was being herded. He was tired, hungry and sore from one to many close calls with the soldiers' weapons. His projections no longer seemed to distract the troops and he was running out of both tricks and other options. He was getting desperate. Stumbling over a rock on the uneven surface, Loki crashed to the ground, gravel scraping into his palms. Suddenly the unmistakable whirring of flying chariots could be heard. Quickly Loki rolled sideways under a small overhang in the rocky corridor. He watched the chariots whizz by and readied himself to get to his feet but stopped when he noted a darker area at the end of the overhang. It was small, not much wider than him, but definitely a hole.

Scrambling forwards, hope sprang anew and he wriggled head first into the narrow opening. It was damp and stale inside but tolerable. With no light and no idea where the tunnel went he pushed blindly forward, ignoring the way the rough floor scraped his knees raw. He toyed with the idea of creating a light with magic but he did not want to announce his presence to anyone who might be at the end of the tunnel. He tried not to think about what he would do if this route was a dead end (after all it wasn't like he could turn around).

After some length of time, Loki noted faint light up ahead. He began creeping forward more quietly, keen to avoid any attention if his enemy was present. His tunnel opened up into what appeared to be a series of caves, dimly lit by a light source somewhere out of sight. Loki paused at the exit of the tunnel waiting and listening for any sign of the enemy. There was no sign of occupation, but a muffled sound of running water. 'A waterfall?' Loki wondered. It would be a good base of operations if the cave entrance was hidden by a waterfall. 'Not to mention useful for a drink' Loki thought licking his rather dry lips.

Easing forward, Loki slithered out of his hole, grimacing as he stretched his stiff limbs in ways they had been unable to in the tight confines of the tunnel. 'Right..,' Loki pondered 'first step: water, second step: food, third step: rest and planning. The first and second might be achieved by finding the waterfall...'

A shuffle near the entrance interrupted Loki's thoughts. He froze as a particularly large solider lumbered into view. The tunnel was too narrow to dive back into. Loki drew his knives. One soldier was not a problem. He threw himself forward before the soldier could fire his weapon. His first strike, low and to his enemy's left was blocked and he was spun off into the wall. Springing back he managed to topple them both to the ground. There were more shuffling sounds to the left and right of the struggling pair but Loki was focussed on getting his knives past the energy weapon the soldier underneath him was now using as a shield. He dodged back as the soldier made a swing at his head with the weapon. This was his opening. He drove the right hand knife home. He was about to add his left hand knife to the soldiers chest when he was yanked several feet across the cave by his right ankle. His chin bounced off the ground. The knife in the soldier's chest was ripped out of his grip by the force.

Twisting over onto his back, he slashed at the hands reaching down at him. That drove them back temporarily. They surrounded him. He wasn't sure how many there were but could see other soldiers pushing to get through to the front of the circle. He slashed again as another soldier reached for him. There was a lull for a couple of moments then, almost as one, the soldiers all lunged for him. Loki's arms were caught in several vice-like grips. The knife was ripped from his hand. He tried to kick out but someone held his ankles. A large fist smashed into his face making the back of his head bounce off the ground and leaving him dazed. The creatures used the distraction to pull his arms out to the side. Another fist from the right caught his nose and snapped his head to the side. Then it became a free-for-all. Boots smashed into him from either side. There were sounds of excitement that sounded quite animal-like.

Loki strained against the hands holding him, struggling to free his arms to protect his head and chest. One brute had the idea of stamping on his exposed midsection, leaving Loki unable to breathe for what felt like forever and temporarily stopping his struggles. Another boot caught him in the ribs and pain exploded in his chest. He would have screamed if he had any breath. Instead what came out was a slight wheeze. A second later something smashed into his left jaw. Blood welled up in his mouth and he wasn't sure if it was from loose teeth or his ribs but what he did know was he was choking on it. Held on his back as he was, and unable to move his jaw to spit or swallow, he couldn't get any air in or out. Just as he thought he would suffocate, a halt was called and he was flipped over onto his front. There was a pause as Loki managed to gurgle some air into his lungs. Then they started again.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hi again. This is my 1**__**st**__** story on . I've got a lot of the story planned out in my head. Please let me know if you're reading and interested in further updates (even if it is just a random word or letter in the comments box). Thanks.**_

_**Loki:**____I come with glad tidings, of a world made free.__  
__**Nick Fury:**____Free from what?__  
__**Loki:**____Freedom. Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart...__  
__[he turns to face Selvig who's standing behind him and places his spear against Selvig's heart]__  
__**Loki:**____You will know peace._

Loki wasn't sure what happened after that. The next thing he knew he was leaning against a wall somewhere cold and someone was wiping a wet cloth across his lips. He tried to swallow and came to full awareness as pain flared in his jaw. His eyes flew open and the person tending him, barely more than a girl, shrank back from him. They stared at each other a few moments, trying to determine each other's intent. Loki remained frozen in position, determined not to show the pain in what seemed like every inch of his body.

The two of them considered each other for a few moments then the girl leant carefully forward again to resume her duties. Loki watched her work, thinking. Was she a servant or a prisoner? Would she help him escape if he said the right things? Could she be used as a hostage or leverage to get him released? Meanwhile, he tested each part of his body for injury. His left knee seemed unlikely to support him if needed (some damaged ligaments no doubt). Breathing anything more than very gently exacerbated the pain on his right chest. He wanted to protect the area with his arm but his forearm was obviously broken and excruciating to move. His jaw and abdomen were still very sore too but the rest of him seemed to be bruises rather than anything more serious.

Loki's ponderings were rudely interrupted by two soldiers. The girl scuttled back to give them access and they unceremoniously hefted him up by the armpits. He gave a strangled yelp as he was jostled. They marched him out into the corridor, his feet barely touching the ground.

He was deposited in a chair in another more functional looking room and left. A man in flowing dark robes approached from across by some worktops. He watched as the man's calculating stare scanned him. "You and I have much to discuss" the man said as he reached a hand over to Loki's damaged arm. Loki tried not to flinch in anticipation of pain to come. Instead the man's hand hovered over the break and a warm numbness spread out from the injury. Loki snapped shocked eyes up to his presumed captor, who he swore had a slight smirk on his face.

"You are here" the man said, "because of your talents. Because you have the capacity to wield great power". Loki watched silently as the man straightened out his damaged arm. He didn't think his probably-broken jaw would allow him to speak. "Before all that however" the man continued, "one must be trained". The last word was stressed in such a way that Loki wondered just what 'training' entailed.

The man reached up for Loki's jaw and Loki let him. Finally he would be able to speak and find a way out of this mess. The same numbness began and things seemed to click back into place in his face. Experimentally, Loki opened his mouth and licked his lips. His jaw appeared to be stuck back together, like his arm. He wondered if it would still hurt when the numbness disappeared. The man was halfway to the back of the room when Loki addressed him in his most diplomatic voice: "I am most grateful for your kind ministrations. It was unexpected after my initial welcome." The man paused by a large box and sunk his arm down into it. "May I enquire" Loki continued, "as to why someone with gifts such as yours deems it necessary to seek another, such as me, in such an unpleasant way?"

The man gave something between a chuckle and a sigh and turned to Loki. "You speak as if this is all my own grand master plan" the man smirked. "I'm just a cog in the machine, as are you, as are all of us. You will come to understand that in time. You will understand that freedom is a lie and your life will be the better for it"

The man pulled his hand out of the box, holding an electric blue object and walking back towards Loki who was trying to formulate a response. Loki watched as tendrils of blue seemed to travel up the man's arm and settle in his eyes. The man did not miss a beat in his approach to Loki. In a soft voice the man said "Let me show you true power" and reached for Loki's hand. Loki considered trying to evade the man and blue object but knew that would cause more problems as he was in no condition to mount a full escape and after all, whatever the object did, it didn't seem to have harmed the man currently holding it.

Within moments of the object being pressed into his hand, Loki felt his desire for escape and all his doubts vanish. They were replaced with the desire to serve. "Now…" said the man, "I need your help. I need your full loyalty and commitment to the mission we are about to embark on". He held up his hand to stop the declaration on the tip of Loki's tongue that he already had his loyalty. "And I need it without the help from the fraction of the Tesseract you possess within you now. I need you to tell me how to convert you, how to break you, every little trick you would use to resist it and when it is done, when you are truly ours."

Pleased to be able to serve, Loki told him everything.


End file.
